1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method for controlling a print head operating with multiple printing elements according to the thermotransfer principle, of the type wherein an energy quantity to be supplied to a printing element in a supply step is determined in a determination step, and the energy quantity is supplied to the printing element in the supply step in order to transfer ink from an ink carrier device associated with the print head onto a substrate associated with the ink carrier device. The present invention furthermore concerns a printer that is suitable for implementation of the inventive method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To obtain a qualitatively high-grade image in thermotransfer printers of the above general type, each printing element of the print head must be supplied with a relatively precisely quantified energy in order to reliably melt the ink particles from the carrier material of the ink ribbon in the desired quantity, or spatial expanse. Depending on the current temperature of the respective printing element, more or less energy must be supplied in order to achieve the optimal melting temperature.
The control of the printing elements normally is optimized at the manufacturer's factory for a specific ink ribbon type with a specific ink, such that a degradation of the print quality can result given the use of a different ink, as well as possibly in the case of gradual changes of the properties of the ink ribbons that are repeatedly used. If this is the case, conventionally a comparably elaborate adaptation of the firmware of the printed for the control of the printing elements would have to ensue.